


Sweet Escape

by Dejahthoris



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Timelines, Gen, Reader-Insert, Theater AU, idk what else to tag this with
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7579021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dejahthoris/pseuds/Dejahthoris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU where Kurt’s foster mother has passed, leaving him with little to stand between him and the cruel, greedy plots of the circus manager. However, when you go to the circus and see him being mistreated, you know you have to intervene.<br/>(Warnings: Verbal abuse and mentions of physical/mental abuse)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sweet Escape

**Author's Note:**

> This is officially the longest fanfic I have written in a long, long time. I was reading Kurt’s updated origin comic with the phantom of the opera soundtrack fresh in my mind, which gave birth to this AU. I just got really inspired and had to write it! I don’t know if this idea appeals to anyone else but figured I might as well post it. Encouragement and comments are always appreciated!

You were surprised at how nervous you were, you supposed it was mostly the over excitement. You had never been to anything like a circus before, but when you heard they’d be in town you purposefully saved what little money you could to go. The colorful tents, the exotic animals, the eccentric people, it all fascinated you to no end.

You had spent the last of your extra money on seeing the trapeze act in the big tent so you were searching for something free to do before you left. The act had amazed you, though as you left you over heard two men saying it wasn’t as good as it used to be. Something about a blue devil who used to make the act the most unique of all. You shrugged the comment off however, when you saw a group of eager patrons heading towards a specific tent.

You fell in with the crowd as they talked excitedly about oddities and startling sights they were about to witness. As you entered the tent, something in the air changed, something felt…wrong. This wasn’t an act or some fascinating sight. This was a freak show. Granted most of the actual people who were in the cages didn’t look like they minded being gawked at, as though they just saw this as another job, but the animals looked sad. Creatures with extra feet or missing eyes who looked as though they hadn’t been let out of their cages in ages. It made you sad, but nothing compared to what you witnessed next.

“This way, ladies and gentlemen!” The tent master called, waving them through to another section of the show. “You have seen nothing, until you have laid eyes on- "The Devils Child’!”

Your brow furrows at the second mention of a devil and you once again fell in line with the crowd. They gathered around a cage in a darkened room and you had to elbow your way towards the front in order to see anything. The others gasped and whispered at the sight, but when your gaze feel upon the subject in the cage, your eyes widened in horror.

There was a boy, who looked no older than you sitting in the center of the cage. He had blue skin (or at least it looked like skin from this distance), pointed elfish ears and a long tail complete with a spade tip. Among his other abnormalities he only had three fingers on each hand, but the thing that really caught your attention were his eyes. They were a luminous amber color with no discernible pupils. They were beautiful, that is, if they didn’t have such a sad, empty look in them.

He didn’t look at the crowd, he stared blankly- almost lifelessly at the straw covered floor. He didn’t move, or speak or make any show that he was alive besides the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. You never knew that something as simple as breathing could look so somber.

Apparently the tentmaster did not like the boys melancholy state. He rattled the cage and told the boy to “entertain” their guests. Still, the boy did not move. The gruff man growled and uncoiled his whip. With a harsh crack he lashed it’s tip against the bars, finally getting a response from the blue boy. He flinched and recoiled, wrapping his tail and arms around himself in an effort to shield himself from the older mans rage.

“That’s right, demon, you should be afraid.” the tentmaster said and he lashed the whip near the bars again. It broke your heart to see the boy so scared, but apparently you were the only one who held any sympathy. The others in the crowd started laughing! They jeered and egged the abusive man on, yelling insults at the boy, calling him Satan’s spawn and demon child.

Your heart raced in fear as the man opened the cage and stepped inside. What was he going to do, beat the boy in front of the whole crowd? When he made to raise his whip again you knew that’s exactly what he planned on doing.

“Stop!” You shouted before you knew what you were doing. You pushed forward to the front of the crowd and gripped the bars of the cage. All eyes were on you now. The blue boy looked up at you over the arms shielding his face. Those amber eye looked right into yours, showing surprise still underlined in fear as the man brandishing the whip turned to sneer at you.

“Get back, child. This demon’s just going to get what’s coming to him." 

"He’s not a demon he’s a person- and you can’t treat people like that!” you shout back. Then you felt a firm hand grip you arm. A man from the crowd had stepped forward and was now trying to pull you away from the cage.

“Come now, child, if you can’t stomach the sight you need to leave.”

“Get off me!” You try to break free but it’s futile. The man takes you outside the tent and shoved you unceremoniously, causing you to trip and land in the dirt. When you look back he’s already gone back inside. In a fit of anger you think about just charging back into the canvas prison they were holding that poor soul in- but you think better of it. They would just toss you out again, maybe even escort you out of the circus entirely. You were still determined to help the boy though and when your eyes spotted a cart of clean hay some paces from the tent, an idea came to mind. 

You looked about to make sure no one was watching you and when you were sure you would not be seen, you walked up to the cart and climbed into the pile of dry, scratchy hay. If the crowd would not let you help the boy, you would just wait for the crowd to leave.

You waited there for five minutes or so, watching as the crowd left the tent, chatting about the sights they had just witnessed. You couldn’t make out distinct words but you were glad of that fact. If they had stayed even when that horrid man had threaten to beat the boy, they wouldn’t have anything decent to say. You knew people could be cruel, but this was nightmarish. You knew you should stay put and wait till it was darker before making your rescue attempt. You hated waiting but it would not do either of you good if you went in there and tried to sneak him out in broad daylight.

 

Your knees started to ache, protesting the fact that you had been crouched in the cramped wagon for almost an hour now. Finally the sky had turned dark and you were about to climb out of your hiding spot, until you heard voices nearby. You froze and listened intently as two men came into view. You recognized one as the strongman from the big tent, the other was a short man wearing round glasses and a hideous mustache.

“I told him to let you handle Kurt’s punishments, Mister Getmann,” the strongman said “but he didn’t listen. He said the crowd didn’t mind, even seemed to like it when he threatened the kid.”

“Kurt has been growing more and more a problem lately.” replied the ugly toad- Mr Getmann. “Our sales have gone down since I had to pull him from the main act, and he does us little good in the sideshow. None of this would be happening if his mother was still alive. Margali coddled him but at least she gave him a reason to stay.”

“Kurt’s seen the bad end of your whip before, Mister Getmann, I don’t think he’s going to behave out of the usual punishments…”

“Well then, I’ll just have to think of something else. If he wont behave when I punish him, maybe he’ll behave when someone else pays the price for his insolence. Bring one of Margalis other children to the tent after dinner. He thinks of those useless brats as siblings, so maybe he’ll have enough sense to do as he’s told when they pay the price.”

“Of course, Sir.” the strongman replied simply and with that both of them walked off.

Your knuckles were white as you clenched your hands into fists against the straw strewn floor of the cart. How could anyone talk about hurting another person so lightly? This Getmann person thought about whipping a child as simply as someone else considered what to wear for the day. Well, you couldn’t save everyone from this horrid man, but you could at least help this Kurt fellow for now.

You waited until you were sure the two men were far away before you hopped out of the cart. Your knees ached a little when your feet hit solid earth but it wasn’t enough to slow your progress to the sideshow tent. The cages in the first section still held the strange animals but the people who had been in the barred cells were gone. You supposed since the others put on a good show for the crowd they were allowed out afterwards.

When you pushed back the curtains that lead to the second tent you saw that Kurt had not been granted that privilege. He lay in the corner of the cage, culled up with his knees drawn to his chest and eyes closed as though he was sleeping. He must have heard you enter however, because as you stepped closer to his prison he opened his eyes. Their amber depths went wide when they landed on you.

“It- it’s you!” he said in a deep voice heavy with a German accent. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to rescue you!” you state matter-of-factly. You found the door to the cell and examined the lock. There was no time to go searching for whomever had the key and attempt to steal it, so you looked around the tent frantically for something to break the lock. 

You spotted a stake that helped hold the tent to the ground. By the time you pulled it from the dirt and returned to the cage door, Kurt had walked up to the bars. Now that he was closer you saw that he had a split lip and gash on his forehead. There were probably at least a few bruises, but his blue complexion made it hard to tell. He watched as you tried to jam the pointed end of the stake into the keyhole.

“Wh- ….why are you helping me?” he asked in a low tone. “If you get caught I don’t know what they’ll do to you.”

You looked him right in the eyes, he was scared and worried, likely more for you than himself. “I- I just know it’s the right thing to do. You need help and I can give you that.” His eyebrows shifted upward in surprise, he looked like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to articulate it. You relieved him of that task, he could thank you later. “Now, if I can just find something to break this lock with, we can get out of here.”

With that you give a second glance around the tent. There was a heavy looking rock, maybe you could use that as a hammer to bust the door open. You tried it, ramming the jagged stone against the head of the stake. It took three good swings but finally the lock gave way and broke, allowing the door to swing open freely.

Your adrenaline was already making your nerves go on edge but your heart went frantic when you heard footsteps outside. Kurt noticed as well, his head snapped up and his body went ridged. “Mister Getmann.” he whispered.

You grabbed Kurt’s hand to snap him out of any panic he might be feeling. “We need to go!” with that you pulled him to the other side of the tent. There was another flap that had been tied off, but the bottom part was open enough for your two small bodies to slip through.

Once outside you made sure to stay crouched down in an effort to keep hidden. It was hard to see in the dark even though the circus people had lit torches; but Kurt gripped your hand tighter and took the lead as you made your way across the stretch of land. Then there was the heart stopping shout of anger coming from the sideshow tent.

“Someone stop him- before he gets away!” demanded a furious voice.

The two of you picked up your pace, darting between stands and caravans as you tried to keep hidden from any prying eyes. Finally you could see the buildings of the main city, you could see freedom. Grass and dirt soon turned into cobblestone streets and that’s when Kurt finally stopped.

“Now where?” He asked of you.

Chancing just a moment long glance over your shoulder your started towards the right, knowing just the place to go. The commotion in the circus’ clearing stared to grow as they searched for Kurt, but soon the noise died away as you ran further and further down the street. Thankfully it was deserted tonight and the night gave you plenty of cover before you could dart into the bushes behind an old stone building.

You knew these grounds like the back of your hand so it was easy to guide Kurt  through the trees and to a low window set in the foundation of the building. You turned the simple latch on the window and pushed it open, ushering Kurt though.

“Careful, there’s a bit of a drop off.” you instruct, not wanting him to injure himself on the way down. He nods and keeps an eye on the ground below him. He let go of the windowsill and dropped down, you followed.

“We’ll be safe down here, hardly anyone knows about this place.” You say as you land on the stone floor beside him. It was dark but you knew just where the first wall sconce was. You always kept a matchbook near the candle because even when it was daylight out, hardly any sun illuminated the cavernous basement.

“Where are we?” He asked as you lit the first candle.

“My secret hiding place, come on” you motion for him to follow as you start to light more candles around the room. 

One by one the basement slowly started to come into view and as it did his eyes grew wider. You had discovered this place almost a year ago and had definitely made it your own. There were old tattered curtains and sheets hanging from the ceiling and along the walls. The settee in the center of the room was torn in spots and the stuffing was flat but you had set some blankets on it to make it more comfortable. There were other trinkets around, some (like the settee) had already been placed down there when you first discovered the forgotten basement, other items you had brought on your own. 

“This place is yours?” he asked “It looked like a church from the outside.”

“Well, it’s not really mine, I’m just the only person who comes down here.” you answer. Then you noticed that the cut on his forehead had started to bleed. “Come here, we should clean that cut up.”

You waved to the settee before going to grab a pitcher of water you always tired to keep full from the nearby river. He sat nervously on one end of the sofa and when you took the cushion beside him, he flinched. The poor soul probably hadn’t had anyone this close to him without getting hurt in a long time. He recovered himself quickly though, reminding himself that you meant no harm.

You pulled a handkerchief from your pocket “May I?” You asked, motioning to his gash. He nodded, never taking his eyes off you. After dipping the cloth in the water you started to wipe away the dripping blood. Before things could get awkwardly silent you expanded on his earlier comment. “You were right though, this place was a church at one time. But a few years ago they converted it into a theater. Back when it was still a church I guess they closed off this basement, because that window is the only way in and the new owners don’t seem to know about it.”

“How did you discover it?” he asked.

“I work for the theater on my free days and I just kind of stumbled across it one day.”

“You are a thespian?” His tone held admiration on the idea of you being a stage actor.

You couldn’t help but chuckle “Me? Heavens no, I’m too young. I just see to the actors, fetching what they need and setting up stage props, that sort of thing. My family really needed the money and I don’t mind the work.” You had finished cleaning his injury and now you let your eyes fall on his. “There, hopefully it wont get infected now…” your voice trailed off as his soft gaze searched your face.

“I…I am sorry, I do not even know your name.” he said. You gave a small smile and introduced yourself. He repeated your name in a low whisper, as though he were testing the sound of it on his tongue. “Thank you…You do not even know me and you risked your own safety to free me…My name- It is Kurt, by the way. Kurt Wagner.”

You of course already heard his name from overhearing that Getmann man, but you gave a small bow of your head anyway “A pleasure to meet you, Kurt. I know it’s not much but you can stay down here for as long as you want or need. The settee isn’t exactly comfortable but…”

“It is better than a cage floor, I am certain of that.” With that he actually gave you a smile, revealing two fangs admits his row of teeth. He had a gorgeous smile you decided, and you made a subconscious vow to make sure he had more reasons to smile in the future. He looked down at your hands, hesitating before taking them in his own three fingered ones. Slowly, as though to give you time to pull away, he brought them up to his lips and he placed a small kiss on your knuckles. “Danke schoen” he whispered “Danke schoen, mein Freund, you have shown me a kindness I have not seen since…well, in a very long time.”

His eyes were closed as he said that, but you couldn’t help the smile from spreading across your face. How anyone could hurt this gentle soul, you had no idea. But you swore to show him the kindness and companionship he deserved. You weren’t sure exactly what the days ahead would be like, but your promised to show Kurt a happy life.


	2. Sweet Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt starts to get used to his freedom and the kindness you've shown him. You discover more about him and his love of theatrics while you yourself prepare for the next play you and the crew Xavier's Theater were putting on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should mention that I never really had a specific time period in mind when writing this? Honestly the era is rather ambiguous and the only technology I mention is cars so it can really take place anytime in the 20th century. I'll leave the period undefined so you can let your imagination run wild!

It was early in the day as you made your way down the cobblestone streets. Your bag was heavier than usual but you didn’t mind, especially since the the sun was hidden behind some clouds, leaving the morning a cool one. You pulled your jacket closer to your body as you wove through the trees and bushes near the back of the theater.

Lifting the latch to the narrow window of the hidden basement, you slid inside and landed on the floor with a thump. Some sunlight spilled into the basement but most of the room was lit by the candles in the wall sconces.

“Kurt?” you called out loud as you stepped into the middle of the room. Your new friend was nowhere to be seen. Had he left in the middle of the night? Heaven forbid- had those goons at the circus found him?!

Just as you started to fear the worst you heard a creak up from above. You looked up into the forest of support beams that collected near the ceiling. You caught a fleeting glance of two luminous amber dots peaking through the darkness before something dropped from the ceiling and landed beside you with a thump.

Kurt stood from his graceful landing and smiled at you brightly “Guten Morgen!” he greeted cheerfully.

“Kurt! You startled me.”

His smile faltered just a bit “I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you.”

You gave him a grin to show you weren’t upset “That’s alright, I just didn’t expect you to be hanging in the rafters is all.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and offered shyly “I like to climb." 

Your heart gave a little leap, gosh he was really cute when he was bashful. He looked much better than he had last night, his eyes were more alert and less dazed. You two had sat and talked for over an hour before you walked home. He told you many things during your time together, including the fact that Getmann had been giving him shots most nights to make him weak and compliant, obviously the effects of the poison was working out of his system now. 

"Well,” you started as you opened the flap to your satchel “last night you mentioned that you also like to read, so I brought you these.” You pulled out the few battered books you had taken from your own collection and handed them to him.

His amber eyes widened as he looked at the titles “I- I- thank you!” he exclaimed. His gazed darted back up to your face “You are too kind, really, Danke.”

“If there’s something specific you would like to read, just let me know and I’ll see if I can get it.”

He hugged the books close to his chest and gave a thankful bow of his head. Then he looked uncertain for a moment and opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something else. However he was cut off by the echoing chime of a bell coming from the tower of the building.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Kurt but I have to go, I’ll be late to rehearsal.” you explain, referring to your job in the theater above. “But before I go I wanted to show you something.”

You motioned for him to follow as you walked over to the eastern wall of the basement. There was a rope hanging from the ceiling and you had to jump to reach it, but once you gave it a good tug on your way back down a door in the ceiling opened up. A rope latter came tumbling down from the trap door, kicking up some dust with it.

“This leads up to bell tower.” you informed as Kurt looked up through the square hole with curious delight “Once you get up there, there’s another latter along the opposite wall, and that one leads to the cat walks just above the main stage. I thought you could climb up there and watch rehearsals, if you wanted to anyway.”

“That would be wonderful!” He exclaimed, his statement punctuated by another ring of the bell above you.

“I have to run, but- uh, just be careful if you do go up there. This is the only time of day anyone’s in the bell tower but I don’t want someone to see you and realize you’re staying down here.”

Kurt nodded “Do not worry, I am good at keeping hidden.”

You gave him a wave over your shoulder and rushed to the window to climb back up to the ground floor. You brushed some dirt from the knees of your clothes as you rushed to the front door of the theater. You opened the door so fast that you didn’t have much time to react when you saw someone on the other side! You collided with what felt like a brick wall and were sent tumbling backward, thankfully firm hands gripped your arms and kept you from becoming intimate with the dirt.

“Whoa there!” exclaimed a familiar voice.

“Sorry, Scott! Didn’t mean to run into you like that.” You said, looking up at the tall man before you.

“It’s fine, just not used to seeing you here so late, usually you’re here long before Ororo rings the bell.” he said as he released you. Scott wasn’t an actor, but he helped out at the theater quite a bit and was friends with everyone who worked there- not to mention he was dating Jean, one of the stages best performers.

“I- uh, had an errand to run.”  you explained as you walked passed him “See you later, Scott.” You gave a halfhearted wave as you ran to the main stage.

The biggest reason the old church made for a good theater was the fact that the main congregation room had a sloping floor as the pews lead down to where the priest would give his sermons, which lended itself well to theater style seating. That sloping floor and the rooms high ceilings also gave great acoustics. The area where the choir would sing had been expanded and raised into the stage on which the performers would put on the plays and musicals.

Jean and Hank were already on said stage, scrips in hand and preparing to jump into their scene. You marched down the isle between the seats until you were standing next Mister Xavier. He was looking over his own copy of the script but acknowledged you without looking up.

“Glad to see you made it just in time.” He commented with a hint of amusement in his tone. There was a running joke among the crew about tardiness. Apparently some of the actors (whom were never named) started to act primadonna-ish and would show up later and later to rehearsal. So Xavier had started asking Ororo, his manager, to ring the old church bell at the same time every morning of rehearsal. If you showed up after the third bell you were considered late and were teased and reprimanded relentlessly for it all day. It was hardly necessary anymore, as most everyone showed up long before or just as the bell was rung. You assumed Charles and Ororo mostly did it now as a joke.

“Sorry I wasn’t here before the bell, Sir, had some errand to run.”

“That’s quite alright.” he assured as he leaned over in his chair to grab more notes from his bag “Why don’t you give Bobby and Logan a hand on the stage.”

You nodded and walked the few paces to the raised wooden stage and hopped up on it. Hank looked up from his script for a moment to give you a flash of a smile as you walked by. Everyone who worked here was nice, honestly it was almost like a little family more than just a group of people who put on shows together. 

You spotted Bobby towards the back of the stage, struggling to open a wooden packing crate with a crowbar. “Need some help?” you asked as you walked up and wrapped your hands around the iron bar just below his. Bobby was like you, not an actor but someone to help out on the stage and set. It was odd to think about the fact that you were the same age as most of the people you worked with. When you had told Kurt you were too young to be an actor what you had really meant was ‘too inexperienced’. Still, Jean, Ororo and Xavier had all given you encouragement to work on your acting and audition for a role one day. Again, everyone felt like family here.

After some muscle work you and Bobby managed to pop the crate open, revealing a mess of packing straw covering the newest supplies to make your new sets and such.

“Thanks.” Bobby said “If Logan had seen me struggling with that thing he would have never let me live it down.”

“You still need to build up more muscles, kid.” said a familiar voice coming up the back stairs to the stage. Logan Howlett came up the steps, carrying more crates. Logan was Xavier’s personal…well…he didn’t like the term assistant. He did a lot for Charles, drove him around when needed, ran errands and sometimes helped out at the theater. There were a lot of rumors about why Logan was so dedicated to Xavier, most including some tragic story of Logan being a lost, lonely soul and the kindly Charles helping him find his way again. Mostly though, he was a gruff, muscular man who looked like he could pull your throat out through your eye sockets and would, but only if he had a very good reason to. 

The day went by fairly uneventful, you watched everyone rehearse as you and Bobby did whatever was needed. Rogue almost threw Warren off of the stage when he started ad libbing one of the more dramatic scenes. You weren’t sure if it was Warren’s way of trying to be charming and funny, but Rogue got enough of wanna-be charm from Remy LeBeau. Still, it made almost everyone laugh.

You tried not to, but occasionally your gaze would shift to look up into the catwalks, searching them for any sign of Kurt. He probably was up there, after all he surly wouldn’t want to be cooped up in the basement, no matter how nice it was. Sometimes you felt like someone had their eyes on you and it may have been Kurt, or maybe just your imagination. Then as you and some of the others sat and ate some lunch Piotr and his little sister had brought, Remy tapped your shoulder. 

“You know, chere, Rogue and I were talking the other day -and I think most here would agree- but, we really think you should try auditioning for the next production.”

You felt some heat rise to your cheeks “Oh, I don’t know about that…”

“Oh come on, sugar.” Rogue interjected. “We’d love to have you on stage doin’ more than riggin up sets and props." 

"Besides,” started Piotr “Xavier’s hiring Kitty full time next week, it will give you extra time to polish your skills!”

Everyone was so supportive, it gave you a great rush of confidence, so you nodded your head “Alright, I’ll give it a shot, if you really think I have one.” You smiled.

“Course we do.” Remy assured, then he took your hand in his “Beside, I’d love to see you in one of those french style period costumes.” He winked before giving your knuckles a light peck.

You flushed but gave him a smile all the same before the group settled back into light conversation that wasn’t about you. Again you found your eyes darting upward, though this time your heart gave a little leap at the idea that maybe Kurt had seen Remy’s light flirting…. Wait. Why were you worrying about Kurt seeing that? Before you had time to process that too much Logan called you and Piotr over to help put up the new valance.

 

* * *

It was nearing four in the afternoon by the time everyone was leaving. That was typical, almost every one had other responsibilities or even other jobs to get to, so rehearsal almost never ran later than four. Usually you headed home or on a scenic walk through the park after work, but today was different. 

Piotr called your name as he held the door open for everyone “Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“I just wanted to straighten up some of the props in back, Pete, don’t wait for me.” You replied “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He just gave a simple smile and waved goodbye before walking out the door himself. When you were sure everyone was gone you headed for the bell tower. The first floor of it wasn’t much at first glance, just a winding set of old stairs that lead up to the top floor with the large bell, and a latter that gave easy access to the catwalks above the stage. You had always wondered if Charles or Ororo had found the hidden door in the floor that lead to the basement, and just chose not to do anything with it.

You ran your nails along the wooden planks of the floor in the corner of the tower until you felt something give way. The door fell open, revealing the darkened depths of the basement and the rope latter. You climbed down it with ease, grabbing the door and pushing it back into the latches that kept it secure. There was a lock on this side one could turn, effectively making it hard for anyone in the bell tower to open it. Half the time you kept it locked, but the other half you didn’t want to bother.

“Kurt, are you down here?” You call out as you finished descending the latter.

“Guten Tag!” said a cheerful voice behind you. You had to hold yourself back from jumping with a start, were you just getting more jumpy or did he have a knack for startling people?

You turned to see him standing there, tail swishing playfully behind him and a bright grin lifting his features. It gave you a fluttery feeling in your chest to see your new friend so happy.

“Did you come watch rehearsals at all?” You asked.

“Ja, your performers are very good, I can’t wait to watch the whole show when you put it on. I also overheard you talking with some of them, are you really going to try and audition for the next show?”

“Oh- uh, well…” you stammered, rubbing the back of your head.

His face fell ever so slightly “What is wrong? You do not want to act?”

“It’s not that!” you insist quickly “It’s just…well I’ve not really had much time to practice. I mean, I know a lot about acting just from watching the others, but I’ve not been able to practice with another person, you know, practice with working off of others and running lines with them. I know most of the actors would be willing to help me, but I don’t want to bother them, they’re too busy as it is…”

Kurt’s lips pursed for a moment as he thought, then that smile snapped back on to his face “You could practice with me!” He proclaimed excitedly.

“Re- really? You wouldn’t mind?”

He stepped closer to you, hesitated a moment, but then took your hand in his “After all you have done for me? I would be honored…besides, it sounds like a lot of fun!”   

You felt a swell of jubilation rise in your chest, a smile to match spreading on your lips and making your eyes sparkle. “Thank you, Kurt! I really appreciate your offer…” You let your voice trail off as you look into his amber eyes. They really were the most enchanting things. You had to shove down the urge to tell him he had beautiful eyes, afraid that saying such a thing would make him uncomfortable.

Before an awkward silence could fall on you both, you spoke up again. “Did you get a chance to read any of the book I brought?”

He nodded “Yes, a little. I started reading Robin Hood. I love that book, but I’ve never read it in English. I’ve not read much of anything in English, so it is good practice for me.”

“Well, if you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask, alright?” you insist. It wasn’t until then, when Kurt gave your hand a gentle squeeze did you realize he was still holding it. It was hard to ignore the the warmth that blossomed on your face as you blushed.

 

You stayed there and talked with Kurt for a couple hours. You told him about the theater and the different people who worked there, putting emphasis on the fact that everyone was always kind to you. You had to deal with some drama of course, but even gruff and tough Logan was never unkind. In return he told you about his time at the circus, his happier times that is. Most everyone there had treated him with kindness, accepting him despite the way he looked. It was just Herr Getmann and his few choice cronies who were cruel.

Kurt had always had a talent for acrobats apparently and the moment the owner realized that he put him in the trapeze act. Kurt’s eyes got even brighter when he talked about that time of his life. He said he never felt more alive than when he was flying through the air and listening to the crowd gasp and cheer at his performance.

Your heart ached when his eyes got dim again, as he remembered when things turned bad. “Getmann had always been cruel” Kurt explained, his tone low as he pulled a pillow from your pile on the floor and held it closer to his chest. “I hated the way he treated my mother…but…mostly I hated how he treated her when she tried to protect me and my siblings from his cruelties.”

Apparently after one night where the horrid man had given his mother a black eye, Kurt had begged her to pack their belonging and leave the circus. He had insisted that all their family of four needed were each other…but she was too scared to leave. She was too scared of not having any other place to go.

At one point he looked like he was on the verge of tears, so you put a gentle hand on his arm and told him he didn’t have to continue if he didn’t want to. He simply nodded and thanked you for letting him talk, but also for not pushing him. Then he put on a smile and asked you to talk about yourself for awhile.

That was a theme for you two over the next few days. You showed up a little early before the bell rang to drop off food and to ask if he needed anything. During the afternoon he would watch rehearsal and when you were done with that you two met up and talked for a couple hours before you had to run home. At night he read and explored the rest of the church turned theater so he would have more to talk with you about the next day. 

On the fourth day of Kurt’s stay in the secret basement you were on stage helping Bobby and Kitty touch up the paint on an old backdrop Logan had pulled out of storage. Warren and Remy were practicing their sword fighting scene and were, as usual, ad libbing the dialogue of the scene as an excuse to toss colorful, playful insults at each other.

“You, my dear sir knight,” jabbed Warren, trying to stay, at least a little, in character “are going to be begging for mercy when I’m done with you!”

“Ha! When I want to learn the art of begging, I have only to ask you for lessons!” Remy retorted, tying to stay in character as best he could as well. Xavier had learned long ago not to bother scolding them for their ad libbing until it got way out of hand. Right now they were mostly brushing up on their stage fighting more than the actual scene anyway, so he didn’t mind too much.

“Hey, Warren” Rogue called from her spot in the guest seats beside Jean and Ororo “if you knock him on his rear I’d be mighty grateful, I need something new to tease him with.”

“Oh come on, cher. Don’t you bully me enough?” Remy replied in mock hurt.

“Turning you gaze to a fair maiden? For shame, sir knight!” Warren declared and moved in to disarm Remy with a powerful swipe of his sword. However his power was evidently greater than his grip, because as the sword’s arch went upward it flew from his hand and was sent flying up into the lights and catwalks.

There was a crashing sound and if your eyes had not followed the flying sword you would have never seen the damaged stage light coming.

“Bobby, watch out!” you yelled as you pushed the boy out of the way in a tackle. You both landed roughly on the ground, but it was better than getting hit by the stage light as it came crashing down.

As the others came to your and Bobby’s aid you looked back up towards the ceilings. Your heart gave a worried leap as you saw Kurt dangling from the catwalk by one hand. The sword had apparently not only knocked the light fixture loose but also nearly hit Kurt as he hid out on the walkways.

Oh no. You had forgotten to warn him that the northern line of catwalks were currently out of use due to rotting wood that needed replacing. Before the man could pull himself back up the rotted plank he was holding onto broke under his weight and he fell through open space.

“Kurt!” you shouted in alarm before you could think to stop yourself. 

Kurt’s acrobatic training kicked in. He reached out and grabbed hold of the velvet curtains. It slowed his fall but it was too much strain for the curtain rods to handle and those came crashing down with him. The red cloth wrapped around him just before he hit the stage floor.

You didn’t even care if everyone was looking at you and the red velvet heap in confusion; you ran to Kurt and began untangling him from the mess. He sat up rubbing his head and groaning in pain, but his eye went wide when he looked up and saw everyone in the auditorium staring at him. You turned your gaze to them as well, your heart leaping in a panic as your mined raced on what to do or say next.

Everyone, Rogue, Warren, Remy, Ororo- everyone was staring in shock, not only because they had a newcomer, but no doubt because of Kurt’s blue, demonic appearance.

“What in the hell is going on here?” Logan finally said, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen on everyone.

“I- uh -” you stammered, unable to do anything else.

“Please, don’t blame your stage hand!” Kurt interrupted, putting a protective hand over yours “It was my fault- I swear I meant no harm, I just needed a place to stay- to hide and-”

“And I told him he could stay here!” you interjected “I didn’t think it would hurt anything. I just knew I needed to help him.”

Kurt’s amber eyes darted to you, he was obviously terrified that you would get in trouble, maybe even lose your job because of him. But thankfully, Xavier put those fears to rest as he pushed his chair forward.

“It’s alright you two, just calm down. Young man, are you alright? You took quite the nasty fall there.”

Kurt hesitated a moment, but then nodded silently.

“Good. Now, it appears there’s some explaining in order. Why don’t you two start from the beginning.”


End file.
